Gluten-Free Chocolate Cherry Pie

3 cans (14.5 ozs) pitted unsweetened cherries (*Save the juice from one of the cans.)

1¼ cups sugar OR ½ cup + 2 tablespoons organic sugar/stevia blend

4 heaping tablespoons cornstarch

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

½ powdered lemon zest

10 tablespoons butter

3 cups of gluten-free (powdered) chocolate chip cookie mix

3 cups of gluten-free chocolate cookies

Directions:

In a sturdy saucepan, mix the cherries plus the liquid from one can with sugar, cornstarch, salt, vanilla bean paste and powdered lemon zest. Keep stirring the filling over a medium-low flame and allow a slow bubbly boil. (About 10 minutes.) The filling will thicken and look slightly jellied. Take the saucepan off the stove. Let the mixture cool.

Melt the butter (1 minute in the microwave.) Pour the gluten-free chocolate chip cookie mix, the gluten-free chocolate cookies and the butter into a food processor. Pulse until well combined.